Gibson J 45 History

For nearly 70 years, the J-45 has not only proven itself a Gibson classic but also a benchmark of acoustic guitar design. It has remained, mostly, unchanged – proving that the best ideas are often the first ones. The journey of the Gibson J-45 keeps going. Here are some facts you need to know

The J-45 is one of Gibson’s best-selling acoustics of all time. Nicknamed “The Workhorse” and first introduced in 1942, this popular acoustic is now the icon of its round-shoulder, dreadnought line. World renowned for its full, balanced expression, warm bass and excellent projection, the J-45 is one of most technically advanced guitars of its time.

I have a few Gibsons so I am a fan. I wanted to love this guitar but was not that impressed. It has the boom and it projects, but the detail and accuracy doesn’t compare to my Hummingbird. I also have a Martin HD-28V and the J-45 just isn’t in the same league as my Martin. There are a few sharp edges, the setup could have been much better, and while it has a very respectable low end, and is louder than my Hummingbird, the workmanship isn’t as good, and doesn’t have the control of the Hummingbird. That said, I love my Hummingbird and was hoping to find a guitar whose sound would fill the gap between my bird and Martin, but I will have to keep looking. Given the choice of just one of all my acoustics, I choose the Martin every time. Maybe I had a less than perfect guitar? I think there was more to it than that.

Customer service is like asking for a tongue lashing from a teacher. Either they don’t want to hear what your concerns are or simply have no information at all. Forget about asking them to build a guitar to your liking because they’ll tell you to go somewhere else. Stores complain that Gibson does not support them with quality product and so consequently sales are low. Gee, I can’t understand why! I think some of the Gibson models are gorgeous but I can’t afford a 1951 model in great condition so Gibson won’t be in my guitar stable. You feel like you just want to slap them across the face to wake them up and get with the program!